Mobile Icons

Nelson wins national academic advising award

Clear Float

This pane clears float!

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. — The National Academic Advising Association has awarded Dr. Travis Nelson, associate professor of political science in the College of Liberal Arts and Education at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, the Outstanding Advising Award – Faculty Academic Advising. He will be honored at a special awards ceremony and reception at the annual NACADA Conference in Minneapolis, Minn. this fall as part of the 2014 Annual Awards Program for Academic Advising.

NACADA is an international, educational association of individuals engaged in academic advising and committed to enhancing the educational development of students. Its more than 10,000 members include professional advisors, counselors, faculty, administrators and students.

The NACADA Annual Awards Program for Academic Advising, established in 1983, recognizes and honors individuals and institutions making significant contributions to the improvement of academic advising.

“The recipient of the Outstanding Advising award is exemplified by someone who excels at a crucial activity for student success and retention,” said Dr. Elizabeth A. Throop, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education at UW-Platteville. “That person is understood to display, among other sterling qualities, excellent interpersonal skills, demonstrably caring and helpful behavior toward students and colleagues, clearly effective student retention and graduation rates and generally a sincere engagement with student learning. Dr. Nelson has all of those qualities and more. We are all very proud of him for earning this important national award.”

“Travis is deeply committed to his advisees and to our institution,” said Dr. George E. Smith, professor emeritus of speech, previous director of the UW-Platteville Teaching and Learning Center and winner of NACADA’s Outstanding Advising Award – Faculty Academic Advising in 2010. “He has made academic advising a priority, and he stands as a role model to all of our advisors. He is respected by both his peers and the university administration. Travis truly deserves NACADA’s recognition.”

Nelson received his Ph.D. from UW-Madison in 2006 and has been a faculty member at UW-Platteville since 2010. He advises students as a part of the political science, international studies and social and environmental justice programs and also serves as an advisor for the Lacrosse Club, Advocates for Choice, and the Global Exploration Living and Learning Community.

“I am very honored to receive this recognition, and I like that it calls attention to the importance of advising in general,” said Nelson. “Advising students about their majors, their courses, their careers and more is one of the most satisfying and, I believe, impactful parts of my job.”

Members of the University Academic Advising Team select one name to send on to the national competition, chosen from the recipients of the college advising awards.

In addition to Nelson and Smith, one other College of LAE faculty member has won the award, Dr. Cheryl Banachowski-Fuller, in 2002. College of LAE faculty members who have won the NACADA Certificate of Merit include Dr. Peter Dimeglio, Dr. Joan Riedle, Dr. David Rowley and Dr. Amy Nemmetz (new advisor award category).

NACADA provides a network for thousands of faculty, full-time advisors and administrators whose responsibilities include academic advising. It also provides advising training tools and career services, manages an academic advising consultants and speakers service, funds research grants, supports commissions to address important academic advising issues and more.